Tag: bananas

I think I found my new cheat brownie recipe. These Five Ingredient Protein Brownies grain free, contains no refined sugar and has a bit o’ protein. Plus it hits the spot when you want a brownie without having a real brownie, so it’s like a guilownie — a “guilt-free brownie” obviously. I’ve really enjoyed making protein muffins lately, so I thought why not try something similar with desserts?

Some mornings, you just neeeeeeed pancakes for breakfast. And on some of those mornings, you need the easiest pancakes ever for breakfast — ones with just bananas and eggs. I usually make my Banana Oat Pancakes when I’m in the pancake mood, but I’ve been curious to try something simpler. Hence the genesis of Paleo Banana Pancakes. I whisked together very ripe bananas, eggs and egg whites. (I have used just 2 eggs, but liked the flavor for the second batch with an egg/egg white mix. You can also put the ingredient in a small food processor or blender if you really want a smooooooth batter.) Topped with some PB2 and maple syrup, these pancakes just hit the spot.

I went to Chicago last week to visit a nursing school and family and my cousin, Betsy, made a delectable Oatmeal Bake for breakfast with the challenge to lighten it up. Challenge accepted. Before I digress, I met the best playdates in Chicago and Luca even let me help him make a (Play-Doh) pizza. Arie is adorable as ever and Betsy and Andriy were gracious hosts. I also really liked Rush and seems like it could be a contender for grad school, but Boston and Philly are still looking strong. . . Now, back to the challenge. Eggs for egg whites, oil for mashed banana, milk for unsweetened almond milk and sugar for caramelized bananas (see the trick here), agave nectar and Aloha’s coconut powder, a natural sweetener. Done. Next challenge?

I can’t get enough of Banana Cookies. They’re simple — two ingredients simple, easy to make and the result is a tasty, yet satisfying treat. I was trying to find a way for a heartier snack that wasn’t celery and hummus or plain, ol’ raw almonds. I had bananas ripening on the counter, chopped nuts hanging out in the pantry and the idea to somehow incorporate a Kind Bar. Sounds promising, right? I tossed in chia seeds and dried cranberries and the Trail Mix Banana Cookies were born. I would have totally added dark chocolate chips, but I didn’t have any on hand. (Note to self, always have dark chocolate chips on hand. What was I thinking?) Sounds like I’ll just have to whip up batch numero duo and let you know how it goes.

These can’t be that delicious and that good for you. Seriously, it’s not fair. I’ve made banana oat pancakes in the past, but was feeling something different. I have some of Aloha‘s Chocolate Daily Good Greens in my pantry and the addition seemed perfect. Here’s an updated version to the banana oat pancakes — Chocolate Banana Pancakes!

I just came back from a long weekend on Sanibel Island in Florida. Known for its abundance of shells, Sanibel was a much needed breath of warm weather after the snowiest (and one of the coldest) winters in Boston. I met my parents and family friends there, and my mom had bought honey mangos for the stay. They’re deliciously sweet and rich in vitamin C. The mangos was just begging to be transformed in a smoothie. Given most days were muggy and in the high 80’s, low 90’s, it was only fitting to make a Mango Banana “Green” Smoothie. Bananas, strawberries, spinach and a dose of Aloha‘s 14 superfoods, this smoothies was better than expected. One sip and hopefully you’ll channel some beach vibes like the pictures below of Sanibel and be transported to your own tropical paradise.

Ok, so I’m on a chocolate kick lately, but can you blame me? I’ve spent the seeking on the bus or walking to work dreaming about all the things I’m going to make involving chocolate — I see a new version of the banana oat cookies in the future . . . I was also a day too late for National Spinach Day (who knew such a thing existed?), but nevertheless, this was worth the wait. The baby spinach adds zero flavor and one hundred percent nutrients to this not-so-green machine. Toss in bananas, almond milk, some almond butter and now you’ve got yourself a healthy Chocolate Almond Butter Smoothie.

Banana Bread Oatmeal sounded absolutely delicious for breakfast while stuck in snowy Boston. The sliced bananas cook directly in the oatmeal and transform into something sweet and gooey. No extra sweetener needed for this one. Top with fresh fruit like blueberries, cinnamon covered almonds and dried cranberries for a hearty breakfast. I made this last week during yet another snow storm in Boston. Great week to move, right?

This “cookie” recipe was a great find this year. Someone in my program at Cornell made these “cookies” for a get-together, and I was immediately intrigued. All I could think was, “Just bananas and oats? Are you sure?” They seemed like a trick; the “cookies” seemed too simple, so there had to be a catch, right? I always buy too many bananas, and they end up overly ripe on my counter. Now, I purposefully buy too many bananas just to make these cookies or freeze for smoothies. The mashed banana is a natural glue to bind the oats and whatever else you decide to throw in. Simply and delicious — the perfect guilt-free dessert or snack!